Autumn Moon
by RavenFeatheredWriter
Summary: A young elleth living in Mirkwood stumbles upon a secret that drastically changes her view of the world. Prequel to Winter Stars, which will be uploaded soon... I hope...
1. Part One: A Day in the Forest

I ran through the trees, laughing as I heard my brother approaching. Soon, I was knocked over and landed sprawling on the ground. I flipped quickly, but he was no longer behind me.

"Cala," a voice called from the trees. I picked up a stone very slowly from the ground next to me, weighing it in my hand. A tree branch shook, and I chucked the stone hard as I could. I was rewarded with a small 'thump' and a very grumpy elf falling from the heavens. Randir, my brother, landed in a rather ungraceful heap on the forest floor.

"Caladhiel!" my brother scolded. I concentrated on making my face a mask of innocence, but my mirth was barely contained; that is, until I turned to call to our horses and found that a rock was being hurled in my direction. Crouching quickly, I dodged the pebble; my brother's look of disappointment was not lost on me. I walked off, barely able to breathe, laughing too much.

"I've got Marin and Andante with me, Rand," I called when I had recovered, having traipsed through the forest looking for our horses. Thankfully, the two hadn't gone far; I didn't enjoy venturing into the darker areas of the woods.

"Caladhiel! Randir! There you are!" screeched our mother as we arrived home. "Dress in your finest. We are expected at the court shortly." She then proceeded to disappear in an array of red silk and golden locks pulled into an elegant design. I blanched at surrendering my hair to that kind of torture and hurried to prepare for a visit to a place I seldom frequented.

The palace had always been a fair piece from our home, one of the reasons I was not found there often. It took a good half-hour by horseback and longer by foot. I also tended to avoid the stifling propriety of the king's halls. I mounted my mare and urged her into a canter.


	2. Part Two: Court Awaits

After a blessedly silent ride, thanks to the attentiveness and less-than-talkative nature of my father, the palace came into view. I had always admired the palace. Built into a mountainside, its halls, chambers, and corridors were fitted into a system of caverns in the mountain. The court dining hall, where my family and I were now bound, was the most beautiful room in the king's halls in my opinion. It reminded me of Lothlorien, with its almost eerie designs in the woodwork, accented by light cast through the blue stained glass windows. It was a shame that the hall was not used often; I wondered what the occasion was that called for the use of the chamber. When I did find out, it would go down in the record books as the only time I ever disapproved of its use.

The hall was bright when I walked in, decorated with garlands celebrating autumn. The king was seated on the dais at the end of the chamber, a forlorn look in his eyes. It was distressing to see the ruler of our small kingdom in such pain; the queen had faded, the Elven equivalent of dying, of spider poison not a week past. The prince, Legolas, usually so perceived as so jovial by the town gossips, had a dull look to his eyes as he stood behind his father. The whole palace had been worried that the king might die of grief for days now; he certainly looked haggard. I hurried to join my family standing off to the side as other nobles hurried in and took their places. Then, a section of the guard strode in with an unusual captive in hand.

A Dwarf! The nerve, I thought. The Children of Aulë had not been welcomed for many a season in Mirkwood. The king began to question the dwarf, who looked absolutely exhausted. The dwarf stayed silent, only expressing from time to time his hunger. Finally, the king exclaimed his frustration.

"Take him of the Stunted People to the dungeons, guard," he ground out through gritted teeth. The dwarf was pushed and shoved from the hall amidst much protest. As the ladies moved into corners and along the walls, my eyes stayed on the door. I could have sworn I saw a little figure standing in the doorframe, watching. I dismissed it as a trick of the eyes and moved to a bench to wait out the inevitable discussions that followed of the prisoners' fate.

After pointless arguing on whether to question the dwarf again or kill him at sunrise, I hurried from the hall. My faithful horse Marin was waiting for me as I quickly mounted and waited for Randir. There he came, sauntering out like one half-asleep, or perhaps one who had consumed a bit too much of the rich Dorwinion wine the king served in his halls. My father was behind him, steadying him as Randir mounted his tolerant gray gelding. _Ada_ only let go of Randir long enough to seize Andante's reins and lead him home, much to my amusement. After we were safely home, I climbed up the stair and into the house, collapsing onto my bed in exhaustion.


	3. Part Three: Bacon

Morning came too soon, the little light of the predawn morn streaming through my window. I could hear my mother bustling about in the next room, probably trying to wake Randir from his stupor. I wearily climbed out of bed and walked to my wardrobe. Opening it, I found three new dresses of a most ostentatious nature hanging in plain sight. I pushed them aside, knowing they were most likely of my mother's doing, a tacit way of instructing me to be a proper, can't-breathe-my-corset-is-too-tight, fragile-as-glass-but-quick-of-tongue Elven lady. I settled on a much simpler outfit of black leggings and a burgundy tunic. Sweeping my hair into a messy, but effective, bun, I headed for my floor-to-ceiling window.

Perhaps it is time that I describe the basic look of an Elven home, called a flet. Flets are tree houses, more or less, reached by taking a winding stair up the trunk of the tree the in which the house is nestled. No part of the tree is allowed to be harmed, as one would expect, so the vestibule had a huge tree trunk running up the middle and Randir's window provided him with a perfect view of the living place of a family of squirrels. The branch of a particularly old tree next to our home grew into the window of my room, providing me with a wonderful escape from my room. I was, at the moment, utilizing that advantage.

I reached out of the open window, fully intending to climb out and go on an early morning ride with Marin, when my mother's screeching call made me come to a halt, bidding me to come downstairs in my finest, again, to visit the king's court. _Again_. I was going to have to sit through hours of pointless discussions and interrogations, destined to either fail or come to a standstill. No wonder I had avoided court for so long.

I briefly thought of staying in my breeches and tunic, but then I imagined my mother's reaction. She had a frightening temper when not obeyed; I slipped into a white chemise and grey-blue overdress and ran hurriedly down the stairs. Upon arriving at the base of the tree supporting our home, my mother surveyed me disapprovingly. I realized belatedly that my hair was in a most disorderly state and averted my eyes as I got on Marin and bid her canter to the palace. My mother's need for decorum would have to wait until she could catch up with me, which I did not intend to let happen. As aforementioned, _Naneth _was partial to painfully elegant styles.

After a long ride I tried my hardest to avoid _Naneth_, once she caught up with me, as the palace came into view. Walking into the atrium, I immediately saw the dwarf from the day before being led to the dining hall. As he stumbled and fell, I shook my head in disgust as one of the guards, one of _my own_ kindred, kicked him and harshly told him to get up. Sometimes, the attitude of the elves, a people supposedly known for their serenity and thoughtfulness, appalled me. As much as I disliked dwarves, such behavior from the guard was still uncalled for. As I walked into the dining hall, I thought I saw the same shadow as the day before lurking by the doors. When I took another look, though, it was gone.

The dwarf was being interrogated, but I did not at that moment care. The shadow I had seen, not once but twice now, occupied my mind. I closed my eyes and listened to the movement in the room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to my Elven hearing. I sighed, knowing that I could use one tool I did not habitually use.

Being of Elven nobility, my family possessed a certain amount of power, both literally and figuratively. As would be expected, my family was influential to an extent in the court and in the city; but that was expected. What my family had as well was Elven power; magic, one might call it. My mother had a certain amount of foresight, as did my father. Randir and I, however, had a different ability altogether. We could hear the intentions and, to some extent, the thoughts of others. With this came a connection between us, so that we could speak to each other in our minds. We could not connect with anyone else in that way, however, so we kept that a secret. Not even _Naneth_ and _Ada_ knew. I now used that ability to speak to Randir silently.

_Rand_, I called. He blinked. That was the only sign I had that he had heard me, but I continued. _I'm going to check something out that requires a little probing. If Naneth or Ada sees me, I won't be allowed out for weeks. Cover for me?_ I got a quick glance and a nod, and it was all I needed. I quietly moved deeper into the shadows and closed my eyes.

I was immediately hit with a wave of what I can only describe as movement. An elf on the far side of the room was trying to stay awake, while another was composing a ballad in his head. I moved to the area by the dwarf and was met with the want to show each and every elf in the room the business end of an axe. Moving to the door, where I had last seen the shadow, I found a thought without a master. A want to… eat bacon? I nearly fell off the bench I was perched on. But then, I thought, _At least it's not a threat._

_What's not a threat?_ I heard. I jumped as Randir spoke to me. He quickly turned to glance at me and smirked at my startled state.

_Point taken,_ I snapped. _I'm not giving you any information any more._

_Cala! What is it? Tell me! _Randir begged playfully.

_No. I'm not telling you a single minute detail. I'm not even going to tell you that the suspect seems to enjoy bacon._

_Fine, then. Be that way. I'll no longer be giving you cover when…wait. Did I just hear you correctly?_

_You're so much fun to confuse, little brother, _I said sweetly.

_You're only older by a decade, and you know it, _he shot back.

_A decade is a great time in the life of a mortal._

_It isn't to one of the Eldar._

_But I still have superiority, and you cannot deny it. Even if you could, though, I far surpass you in the wit that comes with age. _I stated. I was rewarded with a glare that would have chilled a fiery Balrog. Laughing, I leaned back against the wall.


	4. Part Four: So Begins the Adventure

An hour later, it was decided that the dwarf would await his fate in the dungeons. He was led out, and the shadow moved with him. I debated following the silhouette, and decided against it. If one has never experienced the discomfort of trying to follow elves in a dress, I must express that it is a most difficult task. I made a mental not to instead find a map of the dungeons.

Two days later, I was riding along the forest trails with Randir. We had been discussing many things, most of no importance at all, when the subject of the dwarf came up.

"Cala, what did you find when you searched during the meeting?" he asked suddenly.

"Other than a hunger for bacon from an unknown source and a great hostility emanating from the dwarf?" I joked.

Rand smiled and chuckled a bit, but the amusement soon fell from his face. _I can tell that this troubles you. You would not seek counsel from your own brother? _I heard faintly in my mind. I shook my head and looked to him with eyes pleading. _It is my curiosity, and naught else. _I could tell Rand didn't believe me. I strengthened my mental blocks and pushed him roughly from my psyche.

A month had passed without any decision of what to do with the prisoner. In that time, twelve other dwarves had been brought in and imprisoned, but no answers would be found in them either. I had wandered through the passages a few times, and found that the shadow of the creature seldom left the area where the dwarves were incarcerated. I had heard whispers in the darkness, too low to make out, in the evening hours of my explorations. I planned to go back one last time at night and wait by the dwarven leader's cell to puzzle out such a mystery as this.

As I waited on that one night for any clue of the unknown, I let my thoughts wander, thinking of most trivial matters such as the upcoming winter solstice ball. While dwelling on such thoughts, I almost missed the sound of movement to my left, a ways up the passage but quickly nearing me. I pressed my back against the wall, silently bidding the shadows to conceal me even as I drew a dagger from my boot and silently rose. I braced myself for the arrival of the night guard making his rounds or even the king coming to surprise the dwarves with a midnight interrogation. Instead, though, my eyes were met with a strange sight: a hobbit waddling toward the holding cell I had been watching intently.

As he passed, I stared in amazement and made the mistake of gasping in surprise. Although it was a small sound, it set the hobbit on alert and I watched as he disappeared before my eyes. Apparently, though, this did not deter the hobbit from his errand. I listened intently as he held a hushed conversation with the dwarf I soon recognized as a plan of escape. I then heard the sound of keys rattling and a lock clicking as the cell door swung open and the dwarf crept out slowly. He then hurried off, presumably following the hobbit; I followed silently, praying to the Valar I was doing the right thing.

As the other dwarves were set free, I surveyed them carefully. Some were bruised and haggard-looking, common enough among any prisoner denied sight of the sun in so long and encased in darkness. However, some sported small cuts and some large cuts, but they were all unmistakably made by a blade, and most were fresh wounds. I shook my head in disgust and decided to help these creatures, for they deserved it.

Soon enough, I heard the light footsteps of a guard coming down the corridor. I knew that the dwarves could not hear it, and certainly not the hobbit, so I slipped down the passage to meet the elf. I heard more footsteps as I proceeded through the tunnel and counted the steps of no less than ten guards, fast approaching. They were spread out, though, each at least ten feet apart, if not more. As it turned out, most of the guards were a tad bit inebriated, somewhat lessening my remorse at harming my own kin. I knocked out nine of the ten with a well- placed blow with the hilt of my dagger. Only the last caused me to hesitate. Randir had been put on guard this night.


	5. Part Five: Walking under the Autumn Moon

"Rand," I said quietly, somewhat in shock as I lowered my dagger. "What are you doing here?"

"The dwarves have escaped and must be recaptured."

"Rand go back to your post." I ordered somewhat sternly.

"Cala, I will not stand back and let thirteen valuable prisoners escape from the king's dungeons!" he stated vehemently. I shook my head sadly.

"They are already as good as gone, and I intend to protect them from being found. They deserve the kindness of at least one being." Randir's eyes widened at my remark.

"They are prisoners of the king, to be held until they become cooperative!" he nearly shouted when he had recovered.

"They have insisted time and time again that they meant no harm. I believe the panicked words of a frightened captive over those of an angry race who has been livid with the dwarves for centuries. If they can escape from the walls of Mirkwood, they deserve to escape." I then bit my lip and quickly knocked my brother upside the head. He fell to the floor with his other comrades.

Thankfully, the company of fugitives had not moved far, and I caught up to them with ease. The company slowed, and I realized they meant to escape by the river that normally shipped barrels to Lake-Town. I shifted from the shadows and began to push the dwarf-filled barrels into the current.

"Why are you helping?" He managed to ask after his initial surprise at my aid.

"My kindred are harsh and wary. We must be, for we live in dangerous times. Sometimes, though, we are overly suspicious of those who are not at fault." I admitted softly. "I do not especially approve."

"What is your name, milady?" the hobbit inquired after a short silence.

"I am called Caladhiel. What is your name, master hobbit?" I asked in return.

"Bilbo Baggins, at your service, Lady Caladhiel." The hobbit Bilbo executed a small bow and I laughed quietly as he stumbled over the pronunciation of my name.

"Well, Mr. Baggins, may you have a safe journey, and may all stars shine upon your path. Now, you had best get on the back of one of those barrels before you are bereft of an escape route." I chided. He smiled gratefully and climbed on the back of the last barrel. I smiled in return, waving in the Elvish fashion, and watched until he disappeared, and then his barrel. I then turned and hastened through the tunnels, emerging on the forest floor only to realize that it was scarcely an hour until dawn. I looked up at the disappearing autumn moon and made my way home.


End file.
